I thought I’d share a few ways you all said you deal with being or feeling overwhelmed when I asked for help last week.
Despite my telling you not to, some of you still said you just keep right on trucking. You simply pull yourselves up by your bootstraps and go on.
Well, congratulations. But what if you don’t wear boots? Or what if the bootstraps are broken? Then what? You’d still find a way, I guess.
But there is a lot to that…
1. Have a Can-do attitude.
If you believe you can’t, you’re almost always right. But when you think you can, and you keep trying, most times you’re right then, too! Attitude is most of the fight.
Catch yourself when you begin thinking negatively. Get into the habit of avoiding dwelling on the worst possible outcome. Think of Philippians 4:8.
2. Make a list of what you need to get done.
Start with what you need to do today, then this week, then next week, then this month. When you break projects down into tasks, they become achievable.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
One tip was to focus on the Top Three things that must be done to count today a success. You can carry that Top Three idea through to planning each category (i.e. week, month, year).
3. Talk with someone.
Tell someone you’re feeling overwhelmed, someone who you know will help you out of your funk. Misery loves company–but don’t fall for that trap!
Share with someone who can encourage you and challenge you. Find someone willing to bounce some questions off of. Thinking out loud can be helpful.
4. Exercise.
Get up and move. Get your blood pumping. Take plenty of Vitamin D and C, or else get out in the sun and eat spinach.
Take breaks throughout the day, just three to five minutes to get a drink, walk around, stretch your legs. If you’re in an active job, maybe sit down or lie down. Something to shift your thinking at least every hour and help you come back refreshed.
5. Go to sleep.
Are you getting eight to ten hours of sleep a night? Track it over the next week. You might be surprised.
No one does as well on little sleep as they do when well rested. It is not smart to cut corners in your sleep schedule.
6. Stick to a routine.
The specific routine may not be critical, but have a structured start and end to your day, at least. We perform better when we cut down on the number of decisions to make in a day.
Our brains experience fatigue. We all know that feeling of brain fog in the late afternoon. You can maintain your sharpness further into the day by following a routine and avoiding mental overload.
Treat your machine well, and it will perform better for you.
7. Talk to God.
This should be the first thing we do, but I put it at the bottom of the list to save the best for last. Take your problems and fears to the Lord. They are not too big for Him.
Don’t just complain, but ask Him for wisdom and strength to work through the situation. He has promised to answer those prayers.
Ask for the Spirit to guide you and to fill you. This is another prayer God has promised to answer. Defeat the enemy by pushing through to God.
Sing. Singing cheers the heart. Singing blesses others. Singing puts a smile on your face. Singing blesses God. Sing.
Read the Bible. Do not neglect meeting God in the Word. You can’t afford to skimp on time with Him.
There may be other things I missed, but this covers most of what I heard. Thanks again! I really appreciated your help. Hopefully this list is useful to you.
When you’re feeling down, look up! There is your Help.
Juan David 